Final Fantasy: LoZ
by AnimeCliche
Summary: Cloud Strife, about to finish off Sephiroth, finds his sword deflected by an odd barrier. A moment later, he's transported to the Legend of Zelda universe. Yay. Crossover. Anyway, it's mostly an adventure, but there's a bit of humour thrown in there, too.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

Cloud Strife was smiling grimly. Feathers flew thick and fast as his buster sword cut through Sephiroth's wings again and again. "The times when you were stronger than me…" a white wing dropped away and dissolved into black smoke, blowing away into the endless depths of the lifesteam. "Are over!" Sephiroth's angelic form served only to infuriate Cloud further. He readjusted his grip on his sword's hilt.

The weapon was huge. A full one and half metres long, and a third of a metre wide. Its blade was chipped from use, and patches of rust were beginning to appear in places. Its weight made it impossible for almost everyone but Cloud and its former owner to wield… Cloud, in his more philosophical moments, thought of the sword as a bit of a metaphor of himself. This was possibly true, as he had these philosophical moments about as often as the sword did.

Sephiroth collapsed, his angelic persona fading away, leaving only one black wing jutting from his right shoulder. Other than the strange feathered wing, he looked exactly as Cloud remembered him during their ill-fated mission to Niebelhiem. Sephiroth's katana, the Masamune, fell away into the lifestream with splash, and the creature, as Cloud now thought of him, showed the first sign of fear that Cloud had ever seen in him.

_It's over… Meteor will be destroyed. Sephiroth is finished._ Cloud raised the buster sword above his head. He looked down at Sephiroth, hesitating. Sephiroth's face, framed by long silver hair, had regained its mask-like emotionless state. Something caught Cloud's eye. Without warning, a trio of yellow triangles had appeared surrounding his archenemy. Furiously, not wanting Sephiroth to get even a chance to recover, Cloud brought the buster sword down with all the force he could muster. A few inches of Sephiroth's neck, it halted with a crackle of purple and blue energy, and a deep crack tore through the metal, nearly halfway through the entire blade. Cloud was sent hurtling backwards into the lifestream by an unseen forth, before he could even let out a yell of surprise.

The blue and green of the lifestream was familiar to the stunned Cloud, and in a vaguely interested way he was sorry it would all end when Meteor hit. The swirling currents… the voices… fading… the itch of grass beneath him. _Wait, grass?_

Cloud sat up, his heart and head pounding almost synchronously. He was sitting in the middle of a small meadow, his battered sword next to him, stuck point first in the ground. The sun shone cheerfully in the sky, which was unmarred by the painful red glow of meteor. He smoothed his black clothing, his tough baggy pants and leather-reinforced shirt were both as undamaged as could be expected, and the metal band around his wrist was scratched, but still solid. However, the ring of materia that it had once held was gone, washed away by the lifestream most likely. He tried to rub down his unruly blond hair too, but it seemed determined to remain permanently spiky. Despite his massive headache, Cloud realized that he had rarely felt better. The air was perfect, clean and sweet, carrying the smell of earth and sweet grasses. And… for once… Cloud concentrated, confused. The mental shadow that was Sephiroth was gone completely. _My only concern… Tifa… Barret… Are you alive?_

"Excuse me," a voice said from behind Cloud, startling him. A boy, quite obviously younger than Cloud's 21 years, stood there. His blonde hair, protruding from underneath a green and very distinctively pointed cap, waved in the wind, and his forest green tunic seemed to suit the setting perfectly. A medium broadsword and a wooden shield were strapped to his back. His startlingly blue eyes matched Cloud's, and caused him to wonder if the stranger had been exposed to the same levels of Mako energy that he had. "Are you all right? You're obviously an adventurer! Do you need some food? Water? Anything?" Cloud had to exercise quite a bit of control not to smile.

"Water. Please." Cloud looked at the stranger. Despite radically different dress, the young man really did bear a similarity to him in terms of looks. "I am Cloud Strife."

"I'm Link." The boy sat down a couple of metres from Cloud and reached into a leather pouch, pulling out a glass bottle full of water and handing it to the other. "Nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1.

Cloud took a long drink from the bottle. The water helped clear his head- although a small voice in the back of his mind told him one of Tifa's drinks would be a bit more effective. "Where are we, exactly… umm… Link?" He handed the glass bottle, now empty, back to the younger man.

Link's eyes drifted to the left, and he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well… I _think_ we're pretty close to Hyrule Castle Town."

Cloud glowered. "And that's supposed to mean something?"

"Well, of course!" beamed Link. "Hyrule Castle is the capital, after all."

Cloud rested his forehead on his palm for a moment, all of his previous fondness for the oddly dressed boy gone. iThis kid is the last thing I need. I've never heard of Hyrule Castle./i He picked up his badly damaged sword and pretended to examine it closely. "Enough of your games. There is no such place." The warrior swung his sword for emphasis, the rusting blade tearing the meadow grass ragged. With a slight flourish, he sheathed the huge weapon. "Goodbye." Cloud strode out across the meadow, surrounded by forest behind and a large ridge in front. iEven if I was washed away by the stream again… I'm sure I can find a landmark./i He made his way up the hill, feeling a bit stronger with each step. Finally at the top, he gazed out over the landscape and gasped.

An absolutely vast rolling plain stretched out in front of him, marred by copses of trees and, in the distance, perhaps ten miles away, a huge grey mass of towers and walls. Even farther beyond that, a plume of smoke rose from a ridge of spiny mountains. No steam rose into the sky, and no roads, save for the dirt one that lay below, crossed the landscape. It was quiet. Much more quiet than Cloud had experienced in quite some time. Normally, there was always the noise of passing trucks, and, even more commonly, the _thwopthwopthowp _of helicopters. iIt's as if Mako energy doesn't exist…/i

"Cloud!" Link walked up the hill and stood next to him.

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked. "That this isn't Wutai or something?"

Link blinked, and readjusted his hat. "This is Hyrule. Fore sure."

Cloud sighed, heavily. "Fine. Thank you for the information. I will head towards this… this castle myself."

Link grinned. "If we're both going there, we might as well travel together, huh?"

Cloud faltered. It iwould/i be useful to have a local guide, he supposed. On the other hand, it would be troublesome to make the gaudily dressed boy actual think Cloud wanted him around. Feeling too mentally drained to think about it long, he gave a non-committal grunt and started making his way down the hill. Link fell into step beside him.

As the two of them travel across the green and lush landscape, Link suddenly asked a question. "Your sword… can you actually use it? It's huge."

Cloud nodded.

"Well," Link said, biting his bottom lip. "Do you think you could give me a few tips?" He drew the double-edged broadsword from his back and held it in one hand. "You're obviously an adventurer… so…"

The ex-SOLDIER laughed, internally. "I don't know anything about using one of those," he said, nodding at the wooden shield that still sat on Link's back. "If I teach you things, you might learn styles that are incompatible with the shield, which would be bad, if you plan to use it."

Link nodded solemnly. "Well, if you change your mind, please tell me."

"Whatever." They walked in silence for almost a half hour before Cloud finally broke it. "What's with the gaudy green outfit?" he asked. "Do you always dress like that, or what?"

Link frowned and sighed. "It's the traditional garb of Hyrule's legendary hero. I'm supposed to be offering my services to Zelda-sama, princess of Hyrule, as a personal guard."

"Legendary hero, huh? Big name to live up to. Why you?"

"This is why." Link showed cloud the back of his hand. Three yellow triangles, arranged in a very distinctive pattern, were tattooed there. "I was born with this. They say it's called the Triforce of Courage, which means I'm the inheritor of the hero's legacy."

Cloud blinked. "Okay."

"It's been 50 years since someone was born with the marking," Link continued. "And, without fail, when the person born with it reaches age 13, Gannon will appear within a couple years. Of course you know who he…"

"No. I'm not from around here."

Link blinked. "Gannon, or his human-like form, Gannondorf, is the holder of another Triforce piece."

"Another hand tattoo thing?"

"Umm… yes. Gannon is extremely powerful, and his magic barriers make him invincible to most weapons. He's tried to conquer Hyrule many times in the past, but a princess Zelda and a hero have always defeated him. The holder of the last triforce is the first daughter of Hyrule's royal line, traditionally named Zelda."

"Hmm… Every land has its problems."

"And I know who you are… it's obvious."

"Really." Cloud looked at Link in such a way as to demand an explanation.

"You're the hard-bitten former hero, now a mercenary, whose broken sword represents his wounded soul."

"…"

Link nodded sagely. "You'll probably sacrifice yourself valiantly after passing on everything you know."

"I don't plan on sacrificing myself at all," growled Cloud. "And if you know someone who specializes in re-forging broken giant swords, please let me know. It is not intended to be a metaphor."

Link paused for a moment. "I think… Shhh!" The green-clad boy drew his sword and took his shield off of his back. Cloud noticed that he was left-handed. "Look!" he hissed, pointed ahead. Cloud followed his pointing finger. A sub-humanoid pig-like creature was standing a few dozen metres away, Cloud noticed another one, a bit farther away, rooting through the grass. They seemed to be cooking something, judging by the wisp of smoke rising from beneath a black iron pot that sat between them.

"What? You think those are dangerous?"

"Those are moblins. Of course they're dangerous!"

Cloud nodded and began marching towards the pair, Link following reluctantly. "We could just avoid them!"

"Sounds like a bother."

As they approached, both moblins looked up, grabbing long spears. Cloud got a good look at them. Each one wore a necklace of miniature human skulls. The buster sword appeared in his hand as if by magic. "Move." Cloud ordered. The larger of the pair gibbered at the smaller, who moved forward, pointing his spear cautiously at Cloud. It was the last thing he did. Cloud leapt the ten metres between him in the moblin in a single bound, his sword raised over his shoulder. As he came down towards the piggish monster, he brought the sword down in a crushing, if easily avoidable, chop. The moblin's spear, which he had held up to counter the attack, shattered, and the monster fell into two halves, spilling unmentionable inside bits onto the grass. A few seconds later it dissolved into a cloud of sickly purple and black smoke, leaving nothing to show that it had ever been there but its spear and necklace.

"Daaaaahhhh!" Giving a guttural yell, the second moblin ran for it, waving its arms about wildly.

Link gaped at Cloud like he'd just grown an extra arm. "How did you get so strong?"

Cloud sighed and sheathed the sword. "I eat my vegetables," he said, deadpan. "At any rate, the next time we randomly encounter an enemy, I'll hold back a bit. You have a weapon… you might as well prove your worth with it."

Despite Cloud's words, they didn't encounter any further moblins, or anything else hostile, for the rest of the day. As the shadows began to lengthen, the pair of swordsmen approached the large stone wall surrounding three sides of Hyrule castle town. The fourth side, Cloud noticed, was a large cliff. A drawbridge, hooked on to the wall by two gigantic rusting chains, was the only way through. Although Cloud was sure that it would be effective against the swords of this land's inhabitants, he found the idea of something like this acting as a defensive structure against Shin-Ra's air support and laser weaponry rather laughable. He was quickly dragged out of his tactical analysis by Link.

"We should go quickly and try and get an audience with Zelda-sama."

Cloud nodded in agreement. Perhaps this Princess Zelda could explain a few things to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ganondorf was feeling old. He was used to the feeling, but that didn't make it any more pleasant. The dark magic that he used to extend his life was beginning to lose effect and, if that child's Master Sword had not turned him to stone and ceased his aging for… how long? Five hundred years? …he would probably be dead. All Ganondorf knew was that, when he had woken up, a new Hyrule, one replacing the ancient sunken land, had appeared, far across the sea that had become the old one.

[iI'm over 700, not counting the time spent sealed.[/i He sighed heavily and adjusted the heavy, and now slightly moth-eaten, cloak that draped over his shoulders. It was covered in red and gold Gerudo designs, and Ganondorf was rather fond of it. He'd had it for most of his life.

The old man ran his fingers through his long grey hair. His face was tanned and wrinkled, with the characteristic large nose of Gerudo males. His ears were slightly pointed. The heavy muscles that he'd once had, hundreds of years ago, were gone… Yet he still felt driven to conquer Hyrule. Ganondorf raised a chipped china mug to his lips and took a sip of green tea. They said it was chock full of antioxidants, but he wasn't entirely sure that he liked it.

Ganondorf looked over at his chesterfield, and the long-haired man that lay injured on it. [iI suppose, at least, I won't have to do everything myself. Not that young people like him are likely to show much gratitude.[/i "You can open your eyes all the way and stop looking at me while pretending to be asleep."

"Ohh." The younger man sat up and opened his eyes. "You're sharper than you look, old man…" He reached towards his waist. "Do you have my sword?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Gannondorf shook his head. "No. I can't be expected to handle everything. Allow me to explain something," he continued. "I saved your life. Had my barrier appeared any later, you would be eating and breathing through your neck. Both you and the man trying to kill you have been drawn into my world."

"Why?"

"Him? An accident. You? Because you're powerful, and I need your help. What's your name?"

"Sephiroth." The young man raised his hands and closed his eyes. A blue glow spread through the air in front of him, and the enormously long 'horse-killer' katana slowly appeared in his hands. "If you give me Cloud, my Masamune is yours."

Ganondorf felt a cold chill. [iHonestly, this castle is drafty… I think I need a hot toddy.[/i

[iWhy do I have the feeling that we're gonna be walking for a while?[/i Cloud suppressed a yawn. The sun was barely rising, and mist hung over the ground, but Castle Town was already nothing more than a blur in the distance.

He looked over at Link, who was practically skipping, and Zelda, who seemed wide awake. "Tell me again why you're coming?" he asked, looking at Zelda. "Don't you have political stuff to deal with?"

"That's what parents are for," she answered, giving Cloud a scathing look. "And trust me. You'll need my help."

"What are you going to do, exactly?"

"Don't worry!" Link said excitedly. "I'll protect her!"

"Cute," said Zelda matter-of-factly, but with a genuine sounding laugh. "I'll leave it up to you, then. At any rate, you'll have a chance to prove yourself soon enough."

"Huh?" Link readjusted the wooden shield on his back. "What do you mean, Zelda-sama?"

"Before you retrieve the Master Sword, you're gonna have to re-awaken your Triforce piece," explained Zelda. "Or you won't even be able to touch it. To do that, you'll have to gain the blessing of the four races."

Cloud considered asking what this meant, but, before he could open his mouth, Link did it for him.

"Races?"

Zelda raised a finger and wagged it at Link, giving him a cocky grin. "The Gorons, the race of the Earth. The Zora, race of the Sea. The Kokiri, race of the Forest. And finally, the Rito, race of the Sky. I guess they assume that, 'cause you have the Triforce piece already, you don't need a mysterious 'blessing of the Humans.'"

"So, if they accept me as the hero…?"

"Yes. You'll unlock your true abilities."

Link grinned, looking rather relieved. "All right," he said. "This should be okay, then."

"Don't count on it." Cloud stretched, his hair blowing in the wind. "I know how these things work. Each of 'em will give us a virtually impossible challenge. It'll probably…" Cloud stopped, his eyes widening. The world in front of him flashed blue, and a high-pitched wine penetrated his skull like a drill. [iSephiroth… is here![/i The warrior shook his head, clearing it. The feeling was nowhere near as strong as it had been in the past and, shortly, he was able to shake it off. [iWhy's he so weakened?[/i wondered Cloud. [iI must've hit him a lot harder than I thought.[/i Cloud allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.

"Cloud! You alright?" Cloud opened his eyes and started. Zelda was looking directly at him, looking concerned. "You, uh, just totally zoned out there."

"Probably thinking about his tortured past," said Link, nodding knowledgably. Cloud punched him lightly, flattening him and raising a large lump on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Not everyone fits into such simple categories," Zelda told him crossly.

The trio cleared the top of a green hill, perhaps even the same one that Cloud had stood on yesterday, and Zelda pointed to the east, at least assuming that the sun here rose in the east. "That way leads to the Zoras' domain, she said. "That should be our first stop. The Zora are more… cooperative than some of the others races, and they're likely to appreciate our visit. It's about two days travel to get there."

Cloud nodded. Although he did not admit it, travelling with Zel and Link reminded him of a better time, before… No, despite the braid, Zel was not anything like Aerith. In fact, her personality was more like Cloud's than he wanted to admit, and, frankly, he wasn't fond of that attitude.

With the setting sun at their backs and Castle Town far behind them, the group set up camp. Cloud felt fine, - in fact, as a SOLDIER, he was capable of keeping this pace at least on to tomorrow night- but he knew that the other two would be tired. Also, being capable of something and wanting to do something were completely different.

"Oi," Zelda nodded at Cloud as Link searched around for some firewood. "You ever been out at night away from a town before?"

Cloud looked around himself. Rolling plains, and small copses of trees, all pleasantly coloured in a very spring-like green. [iYou have no idea…[[/i "Yes. I've been in worse conditions."

"As long as we have a fire burning, we should be okay. We just gotta make sure it doesn't go out, or the monsters'll be all over us." The sun began to slip below the horizon. "We'd better get back to Link."

"Yeah."

"Hey!" Link called out, beginning to stack the firewood he had found into an appropriate campfire shape. It grew dark very quickly, the sun disappearing from behind a hill. There was a very long moment of silence.

"Get that fire finished," Zel ordered Link. "There!" she called to Cloud, pointing. A skeletal wolf, clods of dirk clinging to its bones, was pulling itself out of the ground about ten metres away. Despite its lack of a nose, it seemed to have no trouble sniffing the air and turning to face the group.

"A monster!" Link yelled, grabbing for his sword and shield.

"No! Get the fire burning first, it'll prevent more from coming over here!"

"Gotcha!" as the wolf skeleton charged, an eerie howl emanating from its skull, Cloud neatly sidestepped and swung his sword, crushing its ribcage. With another howl, it was consumed by blue fire and dissolved into ash. Two more pulled their way free of the earth,

"I'll take one of 'em." Before the creature could attack, an orange and yellow fireball sped from Zelda's hands, striking the monster on the left and exploding, leaving no trace of the undead canine. Cloud noticed a flickering light behind them, and realized that Link had managed to start the fire. "Last one's yours, 'hero.'"

Link came forward, adjusting his hat. Although he looked, nervous, Cloud noticed that his stance really was quite good. The boy wasn't unskilled, just inexperienced. The wolf charged, leaping for Link's throat, but found its teeth firmly embedded in his wooden shield, which he had turned sideways as the monster had charged. A quick thrust of his sword took the skeleton through the skull, destroying it.

"Not bad, huh?" The hero looked up at Cloud, who gave him a slight smile.

"I would not have given a weak creature like that a chance to attack at all. But yeah, not bad." He turned to Zelda. "Zel, do you know for certain that the fire will repel them?"

She nodded. "Undead creatures like that are repelled by light, which is why they only show up at night. They'll avoid us once the fire's burning nicely. We just gotta make sure we have enough wood on it to last until dawn."

Cloud stayed up long after the other two and fallen asleep, staring at the fire until his eyes hurt. He tried to sense Sephiroth, but the connection between them had died out completely. Doubtlessly, though, Cloud's nemesis knew of his presence here, and would, eventually, try to do something about it. He lay back, used to sleeping on the ground, and looked at the stars… so much clearer here than in his own world, with the obvious exception of Cosmo Canyon's observatory. Cloud's subconscious began to speak to him, in the way that subconciousnesses do when they don't have anything else to distract them.

Why was he helping Zelda and Link? It asked. [iBecause frankly, they're the only two people I know here. Because they seem to be able to handle themselves in a fight. And because… they'll lead me the Sephiroth, eventually. And then I can destroy him for good.[/i


	4. Chapter 4

[bChapter 4[/b

"Up an' at 'em Cloud!"

"Gah!" Cloud woke up to Zelda staring right into his face and breathing on him. There was a slight flush to her cheeks, and her breath smelled rather potent. "You haven't been drinking already?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Want some?"

Link, standing a short distance away, yawned and adjusted his feet, his sword drawn. Cloud watched, interested, his he brought the light broadsword through a series of loops and fancy manoeuvres, leaving a blur of metal in the air. [iNot much good in a real fight, but it proves he knows what he's doing, I guess.[/i

"Hey Cloud!" Link called. "You're finally up."

"Mmm." Cloud walked off towards the small copse of trees that Link had gathered firewood from last night.

"Where are you going?" Zelda called, holding up a small square bottle of amber liquid. "We've gotta leave soon."

Cloud sighed and ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair, which was untouched by any messiness sleep might normally cause to one's hair. Or else it was simply permanently messy. "Don't people in your world have to piss?"

Zelda gave an unsteady laugh and gave Cloud a 'go ahead' motion. [iIt's not my business,[/i thought Cloud as he was relieving himself. [iBut… if we're attacked while she's drunk, she'll be in trouble.[/i

It didn't take long for the trio to load their meagre supplies into Zelda's pack, which she handed over to Link to carry. "You're the Hero of Time," she told him with an innocent grin. "Carrying my bag will build up your strength."

They continued to travel northwest and, by the time they sat down to lunch, the terrain was changing significantly. Gone were the rolling hills of meadows and forests, replaced with rocky ground, and the occasional fast-moving creek that had to be forged. It was obvious they were moving uphill, at least slightly, and, not too far ahead of them anymore, a mountain range stood. That, Zelda told them, was their destination. A canyon ran through the mountain range, and, at the head of the canyon, there was a spring. This was, apparently, the home of the Zoras.

"What's very convenient," Zelda said, with only a slight slur. "Is that we'll be able to get to Death Mountain pretty easily from there, assuming we're willing to go straight through the mountains instead of back around."

"Death Mountain?" Link's eyes grew wide as he stuffed a piece of cheese in his mouth. "Wow!"

While half-focused on the conversation, Link's ears picked up a scrabbling among the rocks to his right. He flattened himself against the ground without thinking, and a large javalin stuck into the scrub tree behind him, vibrating slightly. Cloud scrambled to his feet, drawing his sword fast enough to easily smash the next projectile in two.

"Geeehhht them!" The voice was hissing and dry, and obviously belonging to a reptilian creature. Three bipedal lizard-like beings sauntered out from behind the stack of boulders. Two of them were armed with curved swords and light bucklers, and the largest one, in the rear, still held a wooden javelin. All three of them wore leather, bound together by strips of some sort of dark metal, although Cloud was certain that their scales would provide quite a bit of protection on their own.

"I'll handle this!" Zelda shouted, wobbling a bit.

Cloud was wondering how to tell Zelda to stay back and let him take care of it in a delicate manner, when he was interrupted by a high-pitched rushing sound. Flames gushed from Zelda's palms, two-metre tall blasts of blue and orange fire that blackened the rocks and lit lichen and small bushes aflame. The lizards' clothes burned instantly, turning their scales black with soot, and burning their wooden bucklers into charcoal. As the flames subsided, the front two collapsed, smelling of burnt leather, and the leader, still alive, fled, his tail dropping off and lodging among some rocks.

"I knew it was a good idea drink a bit this morning," said Zelda, all trace of her previous drunken state gone. "This is dangerous territory, after all." She blew on her palms. "Ouch… that always stings a bit."

As Link gaped open-mouthed, even Cloud had to admit he was impressed. [iShe ignited the alcohol in her body and expelled it! She is definitely more useful than I'd suspected…[/i

"Hey, we're getting close, I think. Listen." The sound of running water reached Cloud's ears… its source could not be far away.

"Zelda-sama," said Link, as the trio continued up towards the sound of water. "Isn't that blue cocktail thing called a Zora?"

"Yeah. " Seeing Link's shocked expression, Zelda laughed. "Don't worry, hero. It's named that 'cause it's the same colour as a Zora, not because it's made from them!"

"What are they like?"

Zelda thought for a moment, chin resting on her fist. "Well, like most of the races, they keep to themselves. They have their domain, and we have ours. They have their own emperor or empress, and they're pretty proud. Actually, they sometimes come across as kinda haughty. But, all in all, they're probably more accepting of humans than the Gorons or Rito."

Cloud frowned. "They live in water. Are they fish?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him. "I can't believe you just asked that."

"Well, are they?" Cloud kept his face in a stern glare.

"They're Zora." Zelda gave Cloud an odd look. "You're not trying to be funny, are you?"

"Why, didn't it work?"

The princess shook her head and held up a bundle of burnt leather that she had taken from the bodies of the two lizard-people. She shook something into her palm, which created a clinking sound.

"What's that?" asked Link curiously. "Rupees?"

Zelda wiped the soot of one of the small objects to reveal a blue crystal about the size of Cloud's thumbnail. "They're mine," she said evenly. "I got the kill, I get the cash."

"Don't we all kind of need to eat?" Cloud narrowed his eyes at her.

"Not a problem. We'll use Link's reputation to get free food. Besides, I'm sure you'll get your chance to earn a little pocket change."

The group reached the edge of a canyon, the sound of running water very audible now. Hundreds of metres down, the thin white line of a turbulent river was visible. crashing along rocks and down cascading waterfalls.

"Oi, hero!" Zelda nodded to Link. "This is the source of Lake Hylia. It's a site that not many in Castle Town will never see, let alone the hicks in a village like yours. Consider yourself lucky!"

Link nodded, looked awed. "Wow!" she said. "So, the Zoras live down there?"

"They live farther upstream, actually. So we still have some distance to go. Try not to fall off."

Actually, traversing the mountainous terrain proved to be fairly simple. The psychological danger of travelling a few metres from a few hundred-metre drop was present, but, in reality, the cliff top was perfectly stable. Also, they seemed to be travelling along a fairly clearly defined path. Loose rocks had been pushed to the side, leaving a clear space wide enough for a pack animal to handle without too much difficulty.

After a while of silent walking, broken by the sound of Link's laboured breathing, they arrived at a deep circular crater lake, the source of the river. It was enormous, although not as big as the North Crater that was familiar to Cloud, and the beginnings of a flight of stairs was visible at the lip.

"Stairs," Link said, pointing. "Well, we know we're in the right place, huh?" Cloud nodded and followed the others towards them. Just as they reached the edge of the crater, two spears were jabbed in their general direction as two blue-skinned Zora warriors stepped up from a small platform a metre below the edge.

They looked, for lack of a better word, like fish.


End file.
